


A Whisper and a Rush

by Mersheeple



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Patronus, Severus Snape Lives
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:40:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,217
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28295460
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mersheeple/pseuds/Mersheeple
Summary: Hermione reflects on the fact that she loves her husband...
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Severus Snape
Comments: 10
Kudos: 92





	A Whisper and a Rush

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SeverusSnep](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SeverusSnep/gifts).



> LOVE YOU! <3

A cloud of white and silver coalesced in front of her, his voice echoing around her as he warned her that he would be late home. She ought to have been offended that his Patronus had not changed properly when they had married. Ought to have been but wasn’t. They had married for convenience, not for love. Or at least that is what she had told him at the beginning.

The Marriage Law had come in because of the lack of births so close after the War and Hermione had been relieved when she had seen _his_ name. It was not Ron. That was the most important thing. It was not Ron. Or in actuality, any of the Weasleys. Harry had matched with Ginny, not that that was a surprise in the slightest. The fact that he had run off with Draco on the eve of Draco’s wedding to Luna Lovegood should have been a surprise to most of them. Hermione had just checked Harry was happy and threatened Draco’s nose. Draco and Harry had fled to the continent, France or Spain she believed, and had hidden out there. They had returned three years ago with their adopted children, Scorpius Sirius Malfoy-Potter and Lily Cassiopeia Malfoy-Potter: big names for very little children to have to shoulder. Still, they were happy and beautiful children, well cared for and looked after. Unlike the children of some of the forced marriages. The children of one of the Ravenclaw marriages had been taken away from their parents and given to another couple who had been unable to have children but had actually chosen to stay together.

Hermione smiled to herself, thinking about how he had reacted when she had informed him that at some point she would like children. Just two. He had nodded solemnly, stood from his seat and walked out the door of Spinner’s End. He had been gone for several hours while she sat on the sofa and waited for him, not daring to touch anything. It was, after all, his home. And she had only been visiting to discuss the terms of their marriage. But she refused to leave just because he was being an infuriating ass. He had returned and seemed shocked she was still there and had not left in a fit of temper. He had suggested they should reconsider the idea of children if the Marriage Law had not been repealed after two years.

Of course, now it had been ten years and they were still married. She had fallen in love with him slowly and then all at once, a whisper and then a rush of feeling that left her weak and nearly dizzy when she realised what it had meant. Their affection had been slow to start, they hadn’t had more than the requisite peck on the lips on their wedding day and had taken a further two days before the awkward and frankly, perfunctory pre-requisite copulation had taken place. Slowly, she had learned what he liked and he, in turn, had taught her what she liked, having never had a particularly satisfactory partner before him.

Ten years of marriage and she had known for nearly eight that she loved him. Her Patronus had been the first thing to change, morphing from her friendly, happy, adorable Otter into a, frankly still adorable, Slow Loris. The fact that it was one of the most deadly poisonous animals on the planet was not lost on her. The fact that it looked cute was not lost on him. He had chuckled softly, and her heart had ached to reach out and touch him. It was two days late that his Patronus had skipped into her life again and she had realised that he still had his doe.

Oh, that had hurt her something terrible. She had taken time to pull herself together again though and had kept it hidden from him how much it hurt. Nearly three years later, his doe had faded and become…well, she joked it was a jellyfish. It was an indistinct image, resembling a cloud or the first wisps of a Patronus that a normal fifth year may have cast. He could still make it relay a message, clever and infuriating man, and so he had continued to use it. But every time he told her he was going to be late, she felt a little piece of her break. She had stopped casting her Patronus just in case he ever realised that her Patronus was now him: unassuming, quiet, careful, considering and utterly completely deadly.

The floo flashed green and drew her out of her reverie. He snarled and she took a breath before saying anything.

“Don’t. Don’t bother saying anything. I’m sure I utterly reek. One of the dunderheads in the lab decided to spill a whole case of Potions over me, about two minutes after I told you I was expecting to be late home. I’ll go shower and we can go out to eat.” Hermione frowned, looking at him.

“Severus, you don’t smell any different from usual. It’s a little stronger but…” She trailed off as his eyes widened slightly. He held out a hand to her and she took it gently. He pulled her towards him and held her in a tight hug against his chest. She breathed in deeply, loving the smell of him.

“What do you smell?” His voice was rough and she tried to turn her face up to him but he was holding her too tightly and so she turned her face to the side so she could still smell him but she could make sure he heard her.

“I smell the herbs you work with in the lab, the smell of books and ink that seems to linger everywhere in this house, your toothpaste and…oh…” Hermione trailed off, suddenly knowing exactly what Potion had been spilled all over Severus in the lab. She tried to pull away from his arms, hoping to hide from him for the evening. He refused to let her go, pressing a soft chaste kiss into her curls.

“Parchment from your notes, coconut from your shampoo and the smells from that picnic on our fourth anniversary.” He spoke softly and finally loosened his hold, allowing her to look into his misty eyes. She knew she should say something but found that she did not have the words. Instead, she wordlessly and wandlessly performed the Patronus charm, her Slow Loris creeping out and clinging to the air as it looked around lazily. He smirked at her and cast his own charm, finally letting the vapour coalesce into its own form. She laughed happily as the Angwantibo, a distant cousin of her own Patronus form, appeared in front of her.

“Less deadly, far cuter. Much smaller too.” With a soft chuckle he rested his chin on her head and held her close to him again. Their Patronuses hung around as they stood together silently, their happiness near palpable. A confession of love was no longer needed. After all, they were happy, they were secure. And ten years after the Marriage Law was enacted, eight years after she had fallen in love, seven years after the Marriage Law had been completely repealed…they were happy and still together.


End file.
